Automatic flanging-machine.



J. E. GRAYBILL. AUTOMATIC FLANGIKG MACHINE. APJELICATZON FILED AFR.17.190B.

Patented May 31, 1910.

8 BHEETB-BHEET 1.

inventor.

' John EGra billby S 2 2 Amy.

J. E. GRAYBILL. AUTOMATIC FLANGING MACHINE.

APPLwAnox FILED APE. 17.1008.

7 2 sums-41mm 2.

Witnesses I Inventor; 9mm 2.3613; John Efiraybill. 21.15114 "25%.. by Q Att'y.

Patented May 31, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT curios.

JOHN E. GRAYBILL, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY. A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC RING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 31, 1910.

Application filedipri! 1?, 1908. Serial No. 427,702.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN E. GR -\YBILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at .York, county of York, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic l 'lczwmg-Mw.

chines, of which the following is a spmification.

This invention relates to machines for Banging the stems of incandescent. lamps, and more particularly to machines in which the stems are automatically flanged and delivercdEdntoa receptacle without intervention'lltithe-part of the operator.

The object. of the invention is toprovide a simple-and eiiective automatic device by means of which the lamp- 'stcn1 may be flanged and delivered into a receptacle withoutrequiring any attention or skill from the operator, in which the tubes for the stems may be placed in a ho per from which they are fed continually and automatically as required, in which a clutch or chuck for bolding the tubes in Hanging position also contruls the feed of the other tubes; and which is in general an improvement on machines of a similar type. In carrying'out my invention a longing mechanism with a vertical hollow driving shaft is preferably used, and the tubes are continuously fed into the upper end of the shaft, from a hopper by means of a suitable feeding mechanism, preferably ardovice connected to the shaft and operating in the hopper to stand the tubes one at a time on end in the upper end of the shaft through which they pass .to be flanged. The lower end of the shaft carries a chuck which holds a tube in flanging position and preferably also holds back the tubes in the shaft when the chuck opens to dro i-the flanged tube. and afterward permits tile tubes in the shaft to feed downward until the lowermost one cugagcs a slop and is held until the chuck grips it. The tube is flanged by a flanging device which moves toward the tube held in the chuck. The flanged tubes are received on a carrier which deposits-them in a receptacle. Both the carrier and the flanging device are driven from cams and are so timed that. they do not inte -fere..

In the accompanying dra ings, which the invention, Figure 1 is a side'vicw of the machine, showing the hopperflfor the stems in section; Fig. 2 a similar view with the hopper removed and the clutches for the stems shown in section; Fig. 3 a front view of the machine shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 a view in perspective of the delivering mech anism for the flanged stems.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings the various parts of the machine are mounted on a vertical support 1 and a horizontal platform 2 attached to the support 1. A U-shaped bracket 3 secured in a horizontal position to the vertical support 1 carries on the upper arm a hopper. in which the stems, consistin of short pieces of glass tubing, are placed. By means of any suitable feedmechanism the stems are de ivercd in a vertical position and one at-a time to the interior of a constantly revolving shaft 5 journaled in suitable bearings on the bracket 3 and having an interiordi'ameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of the stems. The preferredmechanism comprises a screw conveyor placed in the bottom of the hopper and consisting of an agitator 6 for stirring up the tubes and of a. vane 7 set transversely of the constantly revolving shaft 5 with its tip enga up; the bottom of the hopper and so shaped that it engages astem and raises it to the upright position, in line with the hollow shaft, whereupon the stem drops into the interior of the shaft and passes down toward flanging position. A spiral driving gear 8 mounted on the shaft. 5 meshes with a spiral gear 9 on a countersha ft 10 which is suitably mounted in journals 11 secured to the bracket 3 and can mos a driving pulley 1'2 rotated by means of a belt 13 from a driving pulley 14 keyed to a constantly rotating cam-shaft 15. A camshaft bracket 16 on the vertical support 1 carries the cam-shaft 15, which is driven through a spiral gear wheel 17 secured thereto and meshing with a spiral gear 18 mount-- ed upon and driven by a hollow shaft- 19 carried in journals 20 on the bracket 16 and rotated by means of a driving pulley 2i driwp from any suitable source of power. The stems pass into the hollow shaft 5 in a vertical position and end to end and then ass through an inner tube 22 splined in tho iiollow shaft. 19. 1

The mechanism shown in the drawings for giving an cndwise movement to the inner tube 22 comprises a collar '23 secured to the upper end of the tube 22 and provided 'ner tube 22 is normally held in the position shown'in Fig. 2 by-mcans of springs 27 which engage a stud on the bracket 3 and a corresponding stud on the end of the actuating lever 25, and also by means of a compression spring 28 surrounding the tube 22 with one end in engagement with a shoulder in the shaft 19 and the other end in engagement with the collar 23 on the tube A shoulder 29 on the lower end of the inner tube 22 engages a corresponding shoulder in the hollow shaft 19 and determines the normal position of the tube 22. The stems pass down through the inner tube 22 and at the lower end thereof are gripped by a primary gripping clutch with a set of jaws 30 connected by means of pins to the lower end of the tube 22.

As shown in Fig. 2, the outer surface of the jaws 30 is conical and coil crates with the interior conical surface 0 a shell 31 formed on the end of the hollow shaft 19 so that longitudinal movement of the jaws 30 with relation to the shell 31 will cause' them to approach or to recede from each other, dc ending upon the direction of motion. V ten the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2 with the tube 22 in normal position, the jaws 30 of the prim'a clutch firmly grasp one end of the stem w och has passed down through the tube 22 and hold it in Hanging position. The shell 31 carries near the lower edge projections 32 which extend between the jaws 30 in the 'primary -clutch and act as a support for a loose jaw 33 of a secondary clutch which engages the tube in the shaft immediately above or ad jaeent to the tube in fianging position. The secondary clutch jaw is moved by means of an actuating pin 34 securely attached thereto and projecting through an opening in the shell 31 into engagement with a slip-collar 35 slidably mounted upon the outer cylindrical surface of the shell 31. The lower inner edge of the collar 35 is cut away, as shown in Fig. 2,-to form a conical surface, and when the collar is in the position shown in Fig. 2, the jaw 33 of the secondary clutch is brought intooperative position and into engagement with one of the stems contained in the inner tube 22. The slip-collar is moved upon the shell 31 by means of an actuating bell-crank lever 36 pivotally supported upon the vertical support 1 and actuated at the proper time by means of a cam 26 carried upon a camshaft l5. \Vhen the parts of the clutch are in the position shown in Fig. 2. the upper endof the stem which is being flanged is firmly gripped by the jaws 30 of the primary clutch; while the next stem immediately above is firmly gripped by the jaws 33 of the secondary clutch. After the flangiug is completed. the inner tube may be moved downward, thereby permitting the jaws 30 of the primary clutch to move apart to release the flanged stein without causing the release of the stem held by the secondary clutch 33, since the position of the jaws of the secondary clutch depends upon the relation between the shell 31 and the slip-collar 35, and the cams are so set that during the entire downward movement of said tube the jaw 33 is in firm engagement with the stem held bv it. i

The stem to be flanged is broughtinto the proper position through being released by oth the primary and secondary clutches and dropping by gravity. The extent to which the stem can move downward is controlled by a stop 38 moved into the position shown in Fig. 1 before the secondary clutch 33 is released, so that the stems in the hollow shaft can move downward only until they are I stopped by engaging the stop 38. The inner tube 22 is then actuated to cause the primary clutch to grip the upper end of the stem which is in engagement with the stop 38, after which the stop is moved to one side by any suitable mechanism.

The arrangement shown in the drawings for operating the stop consists of a rockshaft 39, carried in suitable bearings -10and rocked to a position where the stop 38 is out of line by a spiral spring 41 surrounding the rock-shaft with one end attached thereto while the other end is connected to one of the bearings 40. The rock-shaft is positively moved so as to bring the stop 38 into operative position by means of a crank 42 keyed to theupper end and engaged by a finger 43 mounted upon the cam-shaft 15.

A stem is ready to be flanged after it has has dropped into engagement with the stop 38, the upper end thereof has beeufirmly grasped by the primary clutch and the stop 38 has been moved to one side. upper end of the stem is grip ed by the jaws 30 of the primary clutch the ower end is in the position to be heated by.burners 44 carricd upon supports 45, each of which is divided into two compartments, one compartment 46 supplying gas to the burners through a regulating val e 47, while the other compartment 48 supplies compressed, air to the burners through a regulating valve 49.-

Gas is supplied to the compartment 46 through a gas-pipe 50 and air is supplied to the compartment 48 through an air pipe 51; both of which pipes are carried in and supported by a bracket The pipes 50 and 51 are made to act as supports for the support 45, and are vertically adjustable in relation to the bracket 52, being held in adjusted hen the f position by a set-screw 53 carried in the bracket and engaging the pipe 51. The

burners 44, therefore. can be adjusted in a vertical plane so as to bring the flame of the burner upon any desired part of a stem held by the primary clutch. The supply of air and to the brirners is controlled by a regulating valve 54 which may be of any suitahlemu'm, but is shown in the drawing as consisting of a disk 55 rotatably mounted upon a stationary seat and carrying a lug 56 \vhi'irh engages stop lugs 57 upon the sta- -which'are connected to ports in the stationand gas to the burners is diminishe ary valve seat. hen the valve disk is in the position shown in Fig. 2, air and gas can flow from the pipes and 51", through the recesses in the valve disk 55 and the ports in the sta-' tionary valve seat to the pipes 50 and 51 and thence to the burners. W'hen the valve disk is shifted so that the lug 56 is in engagement with the other lug 57. the sup 1 of air d caving only a pilot flame. The valve is shifted at the proper time by means of an actuating rod 58 attached thereto and having its upper end slidably mounted in a guide 59 carried upon the support 1. The rod 58 has an arm 60 extending at right angles thereto in a position to be engaged by a pin 61, carried upon the cam 26 mounted on a cam-shaft 15.

- As the cam-she ft 15 rotates, therefore, the pin 61 engages the arm (30 and moves the actuating rod 58 so as to bring the valve disk 55 into the position shown in Fi .2, there-' by supplying air and its tot e burners Ihe actuating rod 58 r carries a. projection 62 in a position to be en aged by the;

cam 43 which-thereby movs t e rod 58 so as to throw the valve disk 55 to the position shown in Fig. 1 in which the supply of the gas. to the burners is diminished, leaving only a pilot flame. y i

The stem which is heldby' its upper end in the primary clutch is rotated in the flame of the burners until the lower end thereof reaches the proper temperature, when it is formed into a flange by a Hanging device automatically brought into proper relation thereto. The Hanging mechanism shown in the drawings comprises a vertically-movable rod 63 slidably mounted in a guide 64 carriedupon the platforn1-2 and carrying a stop collar 65 for engaging the lower end of the guide when the rod (33 reaches its upward imit of movement. The end of the stem is engagement with a collar firmly mounted upon. the rod 63. This spring normally holds the flangin arms in the position shownin Fig. 2. Th the mechanism connected thereto is lifted into 0 erat-ive position by means of links 70 pivota ly secured to the flanging frame and also to one end ofa pivoted arm 71; the other end of whichcis mounted on the vertical support 1. The arm 71 is moved at the proper time and to the proper distance by means of an actuating link 72, one end of which is connected to the arm 71 and the other'end of which is forked to embrace the calm-shaft 15 and carries a roller 73 cooperating with a cam 74 uponthe cam-shaft 15.

The cam 74 is so pro ortioned that the first part of its movement 'fts the fianging mechanism into the position shown in Fig. 1 with the stopcollar 65 on the rod 63 in engagement with the lower end of the guide Further movement of the cam lifts the sliding. frame 68, thereby compressing the spring 459 and causing a relative movement between the rod' 63 arid the frame. As a result of this movement the flangin arms 66 are moved to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, in which position the lower end of the stem is formed into a flange. The cam 74 then releases the flangiug mechanism which dro back-to the inoperative position shown in 1.

tions ahove described, the stem is properly iflan$amd held by the upper end e primary 0 utch. The completed *flanged stem may be delivered to a suitable rece tacle by any suitable form of delivery mechanism. The mechanism for this purpose shown in the drawings com rises a rotatin plate 'or carrier .75 provi ed with a lura ity of pivotally mounted metal pins 6 covered with asbestos. These carriers are formed to receive and hold the flanged stem when it is re ieased bythe primary clutch. Th'rotating'plate 75 is mounted in a. suitable bearing 77 and is moved by a step-by" step motion so as to bring the carriers 76 on' after another into position to receive the anged stem when it is released by the rimary clutch. The step-by-step motion is 'ven to the rotatin plate by means of an oscillating arm 78 which oscillates about the shaft of the plate 75 and carries a springpressed pin 79 cooperating with ratchet teeth e slidingframc 68 and 50 upon the plate 75. r A spring-pressed pin 1 81 mounted upon the bearing 77 also operates with the ratchet teeth S0 to prevent Z backward movement of the rotating plate. 1

ing lever is moved at the proper time by means-of the cam 37 upoz. the eanrshaft l5 which has previously actuated the primar clutch to release a flanged tube and permita fresh tube to drop into flanging position. The ratchet teeth on the plate 1'5 and the spring-pressed pin 81 are so related that the plate stops for an instant. and is held with one of the pins 76 in position to receive the flanged stein. An oscillation of the arm 78 causes the rotating plate to ad- I vanee one step wh ch brings the next pin it? i into position to receive the flanged stein.

Further movement of ram throws pin T6 'l'orward on step and out of the way of flangf mg device. The flanged atoms are released Q from the pin and drop off into a suitable f receptacle. as shown in big. 3, when the pin reaches the proper position.

. i The operation of the machine is as t'olg lows: lhe stems consisting of glass tubes of i the proper length are put in the hopper and. by means f the screw ronvever in the bottom of the hopper, are fed into the rotating shaft 5, one at a time and end to end. The stems pass down into the inner time .2 and drop through the primarv and wrondary clutches until'the. lowermost tem is Shipped by routing into engagement with the stop 2R. This movement is permitted by the endwise operative position as shown in lig. l. a inner tube 2:.

mg rod .38 i moved donnuard. thereby shutting all part of the supply of gas and all of the air to the lJlll'FiUl'r-. T Hanging nn-ehanisni now raised into tll f;i fl0i;1t3nt3 with the rotating stem, the lower end of which i plastic, and, as the Hanging arms (to are moved to the position -ho\\ n in dotted line."- in Fi '2, the lower end of the stem is fornmt into a flange. The llanging mechani m then drops back to the iuope ive osition and the rotating plate 71- .toved to bring a pin "It; into line with the flanged stein which at. this mom nt i. re easetl la' the primary slutch pin. due to the downward movenn-nt of the inner tu 32 caused by the engagement of the ram i with the lever 25. and drops upon the pin. At the time this downward movement takes plaro the remaining stems in the. inner tube 21- are prevented from dropping bv the artion of the secondary elut't'li Ill; \vhirh is held in (latching engagement w th the lowermost tem in the inner tube 2i. and the primary elntrh by the zitilutt t' llnslidlpg rolla r The rotating plate To moveon. carrying the flanged tem outot line with the inner tube :.J and the z-[UP J$ moves bat-h into The till depressed l) the action 05 the ram '3. nenee the primary clutch is open. The. sliding rollar 3. is now moved upon the sleeve :71 to release the jaw 33 of the seeondarv elutrh.

this movement per- HHS the steni t'utitnltn'tl iii-the inner tube 2'. and the holl w 4 it to dr p downward at it tnll z tip-.1 tn the length of one 14 m. \vhn'h now-orient ring. the lower end of th button; stun into on, -eun with d t \i w T1. l'ph. ii. U: 1H 1.1 1L tttnt (Uh-H u" on niiive harit to the po ition shown in Fig. .2,

movement of the inner tube :22 do\ .'n\vard whirh causes the aws ittot' the primary 3 clutch to separate and to permit tl.e tems to 1 drop freely through the clutch. \Vhen the lowermost stem is in engagement with the stop 38, the cam 20 moves out of engagement with the actuating lever 25 and perunits the inner tube 2:3 tao move upward under the influence of the springs 27 and 2S. 1

This movement; of the clutch jaws 30 with relation to the sleeves 31 brings those jaws Into engagement with the upper end of the stem whieh is held by the stop 38. The stop I 38L then removed by th action of the rranlr 42 and th finger 425, and the stem is held in the primary elutrh whit-i: is eontinuously rotated by the. driving pulley it. The lower end-of the rotating stem is in range of the bnnera H, and the supply of gas and air is .ow delivered to the burners Irv-the routrollingvalve 54, whieh is operated through the actuating rod 58 by the pin 1 driven from the crank-shuttle"). After the burners have heated the lower end of the rotating stem to the proper temperature, the actuatgripping the stem innne-liately above the bottom stem and at the same time the inner tube 9-. ll t)\ '\"-1 nnwaid under the intluence of spring 2* and "If. thereincausing the jaws In) to grip the upper end of the lowermost stem. The i'uierationsabove described are then repeated and another stem is flanged.

'hat I rlaim as new and desire to FtCHIO by Letters Patent ot' the United tates. is.

l. in a machine for Hanging tubes. the combination with a hopper for the tubes, of a tlanging llltl'lllllliflll having a vertieal hollow shaft. extending through ihebottom of the hopper, and a curved vane mounted on the shaft. said vane having one edge in alinement with the shaft and another edge in rngagement with the bottom of the hopper and being shapml to stand the tubes on end in the opening, in the shaft.

2. In a mai-hine for tlanging tubes, the combination with a hopper for the tubes, of

a Hanging nn-ehanism having a vertical holcon'ibination with a hopper having a conical fand another edge. shaped to fit the bottom of the hopper, said vane being curved to cause it to feed one end of a tube'into the shaft and to stand the tube on end.

3. In a machine for Hanging tubes. the

bottom. of a Hanging mechanism having a hollow shaft with the open end at the apt-.\'

, having one set of jaws for holding the tube in position to be-flanged, and a second set of aws for preventing a movement of the other tubes along the shaft while the first set of jaws is open for releasing the flanged tube, and automatic actuating mechanism for the jaws of said chuck.

5. In a tube Hanging machine, the combination with a vertical hollow shaft for receiving the tube to be flanged, of a rotatable chuck having two sets of jaws mounted at dittcrent points along the axis of the chuck to grip the cevice in said shaft, and means for 0 )erating said sets of jaws in predetermine sequence.

6. In a tube Hanging machine, the combination with a vertical hollow shaftfor re ceiving the tubes, of a-cbuck at the=lower end of the shaft having a jaw for gripping the to be flanged and a second jaw .for

gripping the adjacent tube in the shaft,fa nd means for o crating said jaws in sequence.

7. In a tube Hangin machine. the combination with a verticarhullow shaft for re ceiving the tubes, of a chuck at the lower end of the tube having a gri ping jaw for holding the flanged tube. an a secondary jaw for holding the tube immediately above the flanged tube, and actuating means for opening the gripping jaw and the secondary jaw iii succession and then closing the gripping jaw and the secondary jaw in succession.-

8. In a tube flangin machine, the combination with a vert-lca hollow shaft for re- .ceiving the tube to be flanged. of achuck at the lower end of the shaft having two sets of jaws for gripping the tubes, a stop movable into alinement with the shaft to a point below the chuck and closer to the chuck than the length of a tube, and automatic means for actuating the jaws of the check and said step in predetermined sequence.

9. In a tube Hanging machine. the combination with a vertical hollow shaft for rect-iv'in" the tubes, of a chuck having a gripping }tl\\' for the tube in Hanging position and a secondary jaw for the adjacent tube actuated by a movement relative to the shaft, 1

!' nd actuating means "for moving each of i aid jaws relatively to the shaft. 7 i 10. In a tube Hanging machine. the combination with a. rotatable shafthaving a shell on the lower end cylindrical on the outside and conical on the inside. of a ta- }pcred gripping jaw-longitudinally movable inside of said chuck, a seconda y jaw pro- 8 jecting, into said shell to engage a tube therein, and a longitudinally movable mom- 5 her mounted on the exterior of said shell to control the secondary jaw. 11. In a tube Hanging machine, the coma. movable carrier having pins-to receive the flanged tubes, and means for moving the carrier to bring a pin into posit-ion to re- Hanging mechanism.

. 12. In a tube Hangin machine, the coinbination with a. chuc for holding the Hanged tubes, of a rotatable spider havin pins brought into.- line with the flange tubes, and actuating means for said chuck and spider for,rotating the spider to bring a pin 'a'ito line with the flanged. tube when released by the chuck.

. bination with a chuck for holding the Hanged tube, of a rotatable carrier mounted at an an le to the axis of the tube held by the chuc pins on said carrier to receive said tube. and actuating means for said chuck and carrier forintermittently rotating said carrier to bring a pin into alinemeat with the tube as the chuck releases the to 14. In a tube. Hanging machine, the combination with a chuck tor holding the tube and a Hanging device movable into engage, moot with the tube to flange it, of a mova le ing device; and having pins carried into alinezrnent, with the chuck .to receive the Hanged tube.

15. In a tube flangin machine, the combinai ion with a chuck for holding the tube and :1 Hanging device movable into engagement with the tube to-fian e it, of a movable carrier mounted out of the path of. the Hanging device, pins thereon movable across the path of the Hanging device to receive the flanged tube, and means for norof the. path of the flangingdevice.

'16 In a tube Hanging machine, the comand :1 Hanging device movable into engagement with the tube to flange it, of a rota table carrier having arms movable between the Hanging device and the chuck to receive the. flanged tubes, and actuating means for moving said carrier in predetermined relation to said Hanging device.

' 17. In a tube Hanging machine, the combination with a tube Hanging mechanism, of

ccive each Hanged tube when released by the 13. In a tube Hanging machine, the oomcarrier mounted out of the path of the Hangmall? holding the carrier with the pins out bination with a chuck for holding the tube i bination with a chuck for holding the tube and :1 Hanging device movable into engugef ment nih the tube to flz'inge it,

of :1 carrier 1 having u plurality of arms mounted to move 5 between the Hanging device and the chuck to receive the flanged tubes, and actuating means for moving said carrier while the;'

Hanging device is inoperative.

In :1 tube fiunging machine, the combinutio'nwith a chuck for the tube to be flanged, ofa fianging device mQvable toward the chuck to flange the tube. :1 carrier movable between said device ainl sni-l (lincl-t. to receive the flanged tube, and a cum for operating said (leYiee and sail carrier in succession.

In witness whereof. I have hereunl set my hand this fourteenth (lay of April. 1908.

JOHN E. GRAYBILL. \Vitnesses EDWARD J. LUIFCES, ADA ALLISQX. 

